RUT REPORTS

[Jeff13]

My brother is a state trooper and texted me this morning. 7 deer were hit last night on West Metro freeways.  Including a real nice buck with a big fat neck in St. Louis Park. He saw lots of deer last night in the West Metro.

[96trigger]

The rut is starting to heat up.  I am not seeing the big guys during the daylight yet, but the smaller bucks are responding.  2 bucks came into the grunt tube yesterday including the 8 pointer below.  He came within 10 yards twice after using the grunt tube. I am still not seeing the scrapes or rubs that I normally do when the big guys are on their feet during the day.  It sounds like the activity is very localized.  Some local areas are reporting high levels of rut activity, others are not as active yet, regardless, any day now, they should all be very active.  I'm waiting for my area to heat up a little more.  Hopefully before Saturday. 

[96trigger]

Went out last night, same stand as the night before.  Called in the same little fork using the grunt tube, about 30 minutes later, called in a 2.5 year old 7 pointer.  Have not seen him before.  Multiple deer still in the fields right now.  With the warmer weather, the deer seem to be preferring the alfalfa fields instead of the picked corn fields.  Alfalfa fields are still as green as can be and aren't showing much for signs of wilt yet.  Excellent food source for the deer this late in the season.  Looks like that may change by the end of the week with what looks like some hard frosts on the way.  Crappy weather moving in for Thursday, colder temps after that, and bright sunshine for the weekend, looks to be a great opener for the orange army. 

[DonBo]

I also saw a pile of deer in a green hay field last night. Had some chasing going on, but was too far and too dark to tell how big those bucks were.

[wannafish2]

had a group of 9 out in the "other" field when I was leaving so I tiptoed out under a tree hoping they'd come by.  A big bodied deer came out and started chasing them my way...too far away to see how big he was and it was getting dark.  Of course, I was kneeling on one knee and a nice doe and fawn fed within 5 yards.  Too dark to shoot but now I'm stuck and can't move.  My left foot and my right leg both fell asleep in my efforts to stay motionless and I finally had to whisper to her to "run, run away" --- she snorted and took off, only to stop at 30 yards and stare me down.  Seems like it took forever for them to move off so I could finally try to stand up and leave.  Too much fun!  But at least the rut is heating up!  Maybe I'll get my first bow deer this season!  Keep your fingers crossed! 

[nbadger23]

SE MN... it's been a bit sporadic at our place.  Saw a good 8 point on his feet last Monday night around 4:45. Too bad he wasn't running a few minutes late or me a few minutes early because we "met" at my stand at about the same time and he decided he was going to go elsewhere.  I didn't hunt again until Friday. The morning was slow but the evening was a blast as I got to witness an all out brawl between two bucks in my food plot. Unfortunately it was the audio version only as it was too dark to see.  Saturday morning was wet, wet wet.. sat in the rain until 10:00 and had a few does sneak up behind me.  Saturday night at 5:15 I thought it was going to happen. I glanced over my left shoulder and saw a very nice 10 pt standing about 40 yards back, pointed directly down the trail that comes to me.  As it seems to go most of the time, it didn't come together.  Something behind him bothered him because he turned around and was on high alert. He stared back for a few moments and took off like shot out of a cannon.  I hoped it meant a bigger deer was coming but no sign of anything, strange.

As I left the house Sunday morning I could hear two bucks fighting in the woods behind my garden.  I toyed with the idea of waiting for daylight to see what they were but it just seemed like a low probability of coming together - who knows.  Unfortunately those were the only deer "sightings" I'd have that morning.  The night was very slow as well with only a spike buck coming through late.  I had a buck grunting at a doe in the dark this morning but other than that a few does and fawns. 

Just need to be in the right place at the right time! 

[tazimna]

Up here north of Bemidji, things are definately starting to happen. I have a 25 acre alfalfa field out my backdoor so I spend alot of time watching from my stands or bedroom window. Since Thursday, seen numerous bucks chasing does, several good fights and last night watched a 10 pt mount a doe 25 yds from my bedroom(unfortunately the wife missed the cue). I'm averaging about 15-20 deer on the field at dark, and any buck coming out will chase'em around. I've been messing with different scents the past few years and recently am trying the 3 pack of code red. I've had several bucks come in like soap on a rope with that stuff, but then also have seen several bucks get a whiff and bolt for the woods. Hands down, straight vanilla has won the category for best results. Not sure why they like it, but it's the most amazing cover scent/attractant I've used in my 40 yrs hunting. Planning Thursday off from work, so hopefully my longbow will connect before the crazies hit the woods saturday. Taz

[benbosh]

Friday night was pretty exciting and depressing for me.. Decided last minute to head out to the stand after work, got showered and walked across the field to the woods. Using my climber in this spot, I got it all set up by 445, just clipped my bow onto the rope, only having to put my jacket on before I was heading up the tree. As I said, I just clipped my bow onto the rope and I hear something on the trail that runs in front of my tree 30 yards away. Just a doe and she seemed pretty mellow and content walking along, I freeze and slowly crouch down hoping she would pass so I could get up the tree then I hear something else coming behind her. Being it was Oct. 30th I knew what it was.. Yep sure enough a buck, and a beast of a buck at that. By the time I see the buck behind her she had taken the trail that goes right by me. I'm basically curled up in the fetal position helpless and hopeless wearing nothing but camo pants and black base layers as my bow sits clipped to my rope and my release in my pocket.

They get 5 yards directly up wind of me to the south and the doe is stopped bobbing her head looking at me and the buck is focused on her. She was partially behind a tree so got my bow unclipped and I wiggled my release out of my pocket and got it on. She gets kind of nervous and ends up circling back around to where they came from and then about 10 yards away she cuts straight north still trying to figure me out but walks north cautiously. The buck just stands there 5 yards away for a good 3 minutes watching the doe, glancing at me every once in a while. He then turns around and follows the exact path the doe took when she circled around me but stops at 20 yards so I slowly grab my bow and get an arrow nocked and he slowly proceeds to cut straight north and stops again 5 yards to my right for another couple minutes, glancing at the doe then me then staring at the doe. He was definitely in rut mode as being downwind of him I could smell him. By this time the doe is 30 yards to the north head bobbing and stomping her foot trying to figure me out being down wind of me (this made me a firm believer that my scent control system works) she was definitely nervous as she starts stomping her hoof. This made the buck nervous and he bolts to 30 yards so I stand up quick to draw but he stops behind some brush so I had no shot and he slowly walks off to the south. I look and the doe is still down wind of me 40 yards or so away but now walking away feeding and not nervous at all.. Awesome experience but sort of depressing too being so close but it just didnt come together. This buck would have easily scored 150"+

[fr0sty]

Great story! 

Friday night was pretty exciting and depressing for me.. Decided last minute to head out to the stand after work, got showered and walked across the field to the woods. Using my climber in this spot, I got it all set up by 445, just clipped my bow onto the rope, only having to put my jacket on before I was heading up the tree. As I said, I just clipped my bow onto the rope and I hear something on the trail that runs in front of my tree 30 yards away. Just a doe and she seemed pretty mellow and content walking along, I freeze and slowly crouch down hoping she would pass so I could get up the tree then I hear something else coming behind her. Being it was Oct. 30th I knew what it was.. Yep sure enough a buck, and a beast of a buck at that. By the time I see the buck behind her she had taken the trail that goes right by me. I'm basically curled up in the fetal position helpless and hopeless wearing nothing but camo pants and black base layers as my bow sits clipped to my rope and my release in my pocket.

They get 5 yards directly up wind of me to the south and the doe is stopped bobbing her head looking at me and the buck is focused on her. She was partially behind a tree so got my bow unclipped and I wiggled my release out of my pocket and got it on. She gets kind of nervous and ends up circling back around to where they came from and then about 10 yards away she cuts straight north still trying to figure me out but walks north cautiously. The buck just stands there 5 yards away for a good 3 minutes watching the doe, glancing at me every once in a while. He then turns around and follows the exact path the doe took when she circled around me but stops at 20 yards so I slowly grab my bow and get an arrow nocked and he slowly proceeds to cut straight north and stops again 5 yards to my right for another couple minutes, glancing at the doe then me then staring at the doe. He was definitely in rut mode as being downwind of him I could smell him. By this time the doe is 30 yards to the north head bobbing and stomping her foot trying to figure me out being down wind of me (this made me a firm believer that my scent control system works) she was definitely nervous as she starts stomping her hoof. This made the buck nervous and he bolts to 30 yards so I stand up quick to draw but he stops behind some brush so I had no shot and he slowly walks off to the south. I look and the doe is still down wind of me 40 yards or so away but now walking away feeding and not nervous at all.. Awesome experience but sort of depressing too being so close but it just didnt come together. This buck would have easily scored 150"+

[benbosh]

I keep second guessing myself on what I could've done different in that situation to try and pull a shot off but with them being so close and basically out in the open I was more worried about spooking the doe off being I knew he wasn't going anywhere without her so I just waited to see how it played out hoping he'd pass by me far enough that I could turn around and get a shot but either way it was just awesome to experience that alone regardless if I got him or not..

Sat Monday night but didn't see anything except one smaller buck about 80 yards away right at last light cruising

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

Last weekend I hunted west of Mille Lacs on some public land I've hunted the last two years.  Saturday evening wasn't all that exciting, I had one small buck pass through a saddle about 60 yards from me.  

Sunday morning started off slow.  Not so much as a squirrel from 6:30 until 8:30.  Then the switch flipped...in the next 30 minutes I had 6 different small bucks pass through within 50 yards, coming from 3 different directions.  At one point I had 3 different bucks in front of me at the same time.  They were looking for does big time!  I had made the decision that I wasn't going to shoot any small bucks unless I had a really good shot.  

After 20-30 mins of watching these deer feed and somewhat playfully chase each other off, only to circle back around, it happened.  From 150 yards out, I could tell this deer was on a mission and he was walking straight towards me.  At 100 yards he raked some brush and I clipped the release and got ready, then 75....50....  At 25 yards he walked behind a tree and stopped and I was able to draw.  Then he kept coming and with two grunts I had him stopped perfectly broadside at 18 yards.  WHACK!  

And just like that, I had my first archery deer on the ground!  The old rule of "don't look at the antlers" caused this to be the first deer in which I've experienced "ground swelling".  I thought it was a spike or fork at best!

       

[96trigger]

Dandy, Nice job lip ripper. 

[MNHunter65]

Had a buck come thru the yard this morning while taking the new pup out to do his business. He was grunting like crazy with his nose to the ground. I had the yard light on and he was only about 30 yards from me. The pup wasn't sure what it was, so he just sat down and watched. Pretty neat.

[DonBo]

Great deer for your 1st archery kill Lip_Ripper.  Congrats!

[NELS-BELLS]

Very nice Lip-Ripper!  ...and on public land no less.  Thats awesome!

Nels

[eyedr]

Nice deer! I hope this little cold snap gets the buck on their feet Thursday and Friday. 

[Scoot]

Sturg those pics are great!

 

DonBo, get him!!!  Good luck!

[Boar]

Awsome for you LPG! nce job. Man Ive yet to kill a any deer with a bow. Ive killed bear, but not deer. wiered. I gota do something about this.

[96trigger]

Thought it was going to happen tonight....but the deer came downwind from me. The doe could smell something,  but she still  got to within 5 yards multiple times,  She tried very hard to figure out where I was, she got very close to the stand.   I could hear grunting and I could see another deer in the brush about 70 yards away.  That's as close as he ever got.  Never got a good look at him.  I'm sure he was a small buck,  right guys...just a little one?  Been hunting this stand quite a bit this week,  going to a different stand next.  Wish they would have come from behind me like the last 2 times. 

[walleyehunter02]

In a city hunt, from my stand watched a small buck bedded with a doe all day until they got up this evening to feed and they parted ways.  He came came under my stand and headed towards another common bedding area as I saw another buck approaching the same area. Next thing ya know those 2 bucks were chasing a few doe's for all their worth! Unfortunately it was under my other stand that i was not in.. Maybe i can pick the right stand tomorrow! There is very very little sign of scraps or rubs here and only a couple small bucks currently in the neighborhood. These next couple days weather should spice things up a bit! Good luck to all hunting!

[Lip_Ripper Guy]

Awsome for you LPG! nce job. Man Ive yet to kill a any deer with a bow. Ive killed bear, but not deer. wiered. I gota do something about this.

Thank you, Boar, and everyone else!  This is only my 3rd season bowhunting, but I wish I started 20 years ago.  I hunted somewhere in the neighborhood of 60 days between my first two seasons, and passed on a bunch of deer.  I don't regret that, but this year it was time to drop the string on something.  I'm really happy with the deer, but I had two more days scheduled to hunt before rifle season, so I'm mildly feeling like I should have waited a bit longer given the rut activity I was seeing that day.  But, that thinking is also what caused me to go deer-less my first two bow seasons